Jaguar Land Rover is talking with other car makers about a partnership on hybrid vehicles as the Indian owned UK luxury car manufacturer battles to meet CO2 emissions targets in Europe.

“Some discussions have taken place with other manufacturers,” Wolfgang Epple, JLR’s research and technology head, told Automotive News Europe. He declined to identify which companies JLR has spoken with.

In a press release on the Europa.eu website, the European Union have announced the approval of a €20.5 million grant to Renault for the development of diesel hybrid commercial vehicles.

Renault applied for the funding through the French Government National Loan programme in 2012, to support their HYDIVU project: to develop a diesel hybrid drivetrain for a low carbon vehicle based on the Trafic and Master range of commercial vans. The project was accepted by the French Government in 2012 and has since been approved by the EU.

Renault will carry out the HYDIVU project in collaboration with three other companies (Continental, Valeo and LMS International) and a research body (IFPEN).

The approval has been granted despite concerns that it presents an unfair market advantage to Renault – The EU considered that drive trains for vehicles of this type were not being developed by other manufacturers or by Renault, and would not be without funding of this type.

In the words of the EU, there was a “genuine market failure” and it is “both necessary and sufficient to spur Renault to carry out an R&D project that it would not otherwise have launched of its own volition”

Greening the Big Green Machine and getting more value from US tax dollars at the same time – one of the world’s largest car manufacturers by volume, partners with the world’s largest military force: only good can come of this…

General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center are expanding their collaboration in the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Through a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, GM and TARDEC will jointly test new hydrogen fuel cell-related materials and designs to evaluate their performance and durability before assembling them into full-scale fuel cell propulsion systems.

This collaborative effort will enable GM and TARDEC to jointly develop technology that meets both of their requirements, accomplishing more tangible results than either entity could achieve on its own. The project is expected to continue for up to five years.

“GM welcomes the opportunity to further expand our work with TARDEC developing fuel cell technology,” said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM’s global fuel cell engineering activities. “We believe hydrogen fuel cell technology holds tremendous potential to one day help reduce our dependence on petroleum and we are committed to building on our leadership through the continued development.”

Twelve hybrid minibuses powered principally by rechargable electric batteries will undergo trials on Hong-Kong city streets in October, with a view to the hybrid model replacing the existing fleet.

Green Mobility Innovations (GMI) who build the vehicles say the minibusses consume a third less oil and produce 70 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than the LPG-powered and diesel minibuses currently in use.

“The battery will recharge when it runs low or when the vehicle is stopped… …a fully charged battery would last 450 kilometres at 80km/h, after which the diesel engine would kick in. That would make the hybrid no different in operation from a conventional minibus, which clocked about 300 kilometres a day” said Lo Chee-pui, director of Green Mobility Innovations (GMI).

Three big operators of green-topped minibuses are taking part in the trial, which will start in the middle of October 2013.

Chan Man-chun, of AMS Public Transport, which bought eight of the hybrids, said the government’s green transport fund paid HK$900,000 for each of the HK$1.33 million hybrids. A diesel version costs about HK$600,000.

In a presentation to the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada has predicted that hybrid vehicles will play a larger role in the future development of automotive propulsion systems than widely recognized, and fuel cells will be the next step.

“Some people say hybrid vehicles such as the Prius are only a bridge to the future. But we think it could be a long bridge and a very sturdy one”

“In each of the previous moves to a new generation [of the Prius], we achieved a 10 percent increase in mileage per gallon, we are committed to beating that record this time.”

“Today I wish to call on the industry to sell 5 million hybrids in the U.S. by the end of 2016… …It’s only when we put ourselves under the same kind of intense pressure we faced in developing the Prius that we can achieve great goals. That’s what it takes. I want our industry to achieve this goal.”

Toyota, like Daimler Mercedes, are committing to fuel cells and compare them favourably over EVs, encouraging a technology battle that some would say needn’t exist, as both solutions have a role to play in future transport.

Smith Vehicles & Germany’s Proton Power systems have jointly developed the world’s first electrically operated commercial vehicle in the 7.5 to 12 tonne class.

The truck uses a battery and a HyRange fuel cell system from Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH. The vehicle is based on the battery-powered Newton vehicle built by Smith Electric Vehicles.

Proton Motor has integrated a HyRange hydrogen fuel cell system with an output of 8kW into the vehicle which supplies the battery with electrical energy. This significantly improves the vehicle’s range and enables power to be supplied to the driver cabin air conditioning unit or additional equipment such as electrically powered refrigeration units.

The vehicle is available immediately for field testing by interested customers in the box van and tail lift configuration. The project was supported by funding from the NIP (National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation programme).

Dr. Francoise Faiz Nahab, Managing Director of Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH, said: “We developed our HyRange system for buses and commercial vehicles for innercity use. The vehicles are extremely quiet and emissions free. This is an optimal solution for every city that needs to meet the planned environmental targets. We are very proud of the results of our(more…)